Wrap IT Up!

Transformation
There is always buzz at conferences when certain people are scheduled to speak and Cisco Live was no exception. This having been my first time in attendance I wasn't aware of some of the names being talked about at the snack stations, but a couple names continually came in conversation, one being Guillermo Diaz, SVP.CIO of Cisco. The ITM hall was filled when Guillermo took the stage for his "Harnessing the Power of Transformation and Why it's Good for Business and You" presentation. Guillermo is not an overly exaggerated bouncing around the stage kind of presenter, but quite the opposite. He has a very calm demeanor with what appears to be a genuine personality. Change and digital transformation continued to be the on-going topic and Guillermo and his guest speakers provided more takeaways worth noting below.

• IT is at the foundation of any business
• Change will happen by us, with us, to us
• Change is changing
• Digital transformation is the #1 thought of every manufacturer in the world
• 3% of the Cisco manufacturing budget is spent on sustained transformation and experimentation
• Transformation is not an event, but a perpetual leadership task
  

Each of the takeaways I have listed above could be broken down, discussed, and written about for quite some time. Take a little time to process and decide what they have in common, how do they relate to you as a leader, and your organization.

Captain Mike

The last keynote for the IT Management group was Captain Michael Abrashoff, motivational speaker and former commander of the USS Benfold. Michael is definitely an amazing speaker with a quick wit and experiences that are very relatable and inspirational. I quickly found common ground when he made a statement about getting caught up in trying to change things not in our control. He used an example that he could have blamed the Navy for giving him command of the lowest ranked ship in the fleet, but he knew that if things were going to change, he had to focus on what was in the crew and his control.
Often when things are difficult or in disarray we get caught up into looking for something or someone to blame things on, instead, look inward, evaluate, and focus.  

• Transformation is about putting yourself in the right position to control your own destiny
• Engage people to have the same sense of urgency as you have
• Provide sense of ownership
• Stop obsessing over what you can't change
• No one is a born leader, it's a lifelong journey
• Excellent without arrogance
• It's your ship (you'll have to read his book for this one ;)

Cisco Live A++

I had a great week at my first Cisco Live event and have many takeaways from both the product side and the leadership track. Combining both areas and learning about the operating strategies and road map of a 50 billion dollar company was educational and highly recommended. I look forward to the continued partnership with Cisco and our journey in Gilbert Public Schools with the implementation of Webex collaboration tools, transformation in the making.